The present invention relates generally to valves, and more particularly to a valve assembly kit for assembling a plurality of slide valves.
The use of valves for controlling the flow of hydraulic or pneumatic fluid is very well developed in the industry, and such valves are used, inter alia, for controlling and operating various types of machines, systems and the like. The number of control functions which must be performed in fluid circuits by the associated valves is large and extremely diverse. Because of this, a correspondingly large and diverse number of different types of valves is required, the types ranging from the simple two-way valve to the servo and pressure regulating valves.
Each type of valve is constructed separately, that is each valve is a complete finished unit which is installed in the fluid system to be controlled. The complexity of the various functions to be performed in different fluid systems by the associated valves makes it impossible to have special valves for each type of application. Therefore, the designer and builder of fluid systems is often forced, for reasons of expedience and economy, to design his system so that it can utilize valves of the various types which are already commercially available, rather than having to design and build specialty valves. This, however, quite frequently requires that the overall complexity of the system is increased over what would inherently be necessary if valves specifically adapted for the required functions of the particular system would be available.
This is a decided disadvantage in the prior art.
A futher disadvantage relating to the available fluid flow controlling valves is concerned not with the industrial use of such valves, but with the applicability of the valves in teaching functions. Technical and other schools usually teach the principles of pneumatics and hydraulics, and for this purpose install various fluid systems on hand of which the principles are demonstrated to the students. With these systems, it is possible to demonstrate to the students how the system reacts to the operation of its associated valves, but it is not possible to demonstrate what takes place within the valve itself when the valve so operates. This is a decided disadvantage.
Furthermore, although theoretically it would be desirable to acquaint the students with as many different types of valves as possible, as well as with the manner in which each valve performs its respective functions, in practice this is not possible because most schools simply do not have the budget necessary to permit them to obtain samples of the many different types of valves.